J.C. Penney partners with wedding-planning site

Plano, Texas J.C. Penney has announced a new partnership with OurWeddingDay.com, a site that provides brides with online wedding-planning tools.

The company said the partnership is designed to cater to “recessionista” brides who are looking for the perks of an attractive wedding built on an affordable budget.

J.C. Penney said it premised the partnership on recent statistics that show on average, couples are spending less for their weddings. In 2008, the average estimated cost per wedding fell 24% to $21,814, from an average cost of $28,704 in 2007.

Brides that register with the retailer will be able to use OurWeddingDay.com’s virtual wedding planner, which provides brides with expert advice on planning, an online task list that guides the planning process, an event management tool and a free wedding Web site so the couple can share information about their wedding and engagement.